How to update DirectX in Windows 10

DirectX is a component of Windows that helps software, mainly gaming, work directly with audio and video hardware on Microsoft platforms. This set of Application Programming Interfaces (APIs) makes better use of the built-in features of the hardware media accelerator. This guide will help you install the latest DirectX update on Windows 10 to DirectX 11 or 12 update.

How to update DirectX in Windows 10

DirectX comes pre-installed with Windows, but needs to be updated regularly to improve gaming performance. Microsoft has released recent releases such as the Direct X 12 update to resolve issues with the current version and thus improve the performance of the game. Since the installation of DirectX depends on the version of the operating system on your Windows PC, you can install a different version of DirectX for different versions of the OS.

Note. If you have macOS installed on your laptop or computer, DirectX will not be available to you. DirectX is only available for versions of the Microsoft Windows OS.

The upgrade process for Windows 10 DirectX is detailed in the next section.

Step I: Check Your Current DirectX Version

The first thing to do to update DirectX Windows 10 is to check the current version of DirectX on your system. Your computer may not support the DirectX 12 update because systems using older GPUs are not compatible with the latest version. Therefore, you can follow the steps given below to know the current generation in advance as follows:

Note. The same steps can be followed by Windows 7 or Windows 8 users.

1. Open the Windows search bar on your PC by pressing the Windows key, type Dxdiag in it and click "Open" as shown in the picture.

2. Then click Yes on the DirectX Diagnostic Tool window.

3. In the DirectX Diagnostic Tool window, you can find the version of DirectX that is currently running on your system, as shown in the highlighted color.

Step II: Check Hardware and System Requirements

Now that you know your current version of DirectX, it's time to check the hardware and system requirements. Since the latest version available for DirectX is DirectX 12, it is supported:

  • all NVIDIA graphics cards built in Pascal, Maxwell, Kepler, Ampere, Turning and
  • any GPU whose name starts with 600, 700, 900, or 2000.

In addition, the 77xx series supports the DirectX 11 update as well as 12.

Step III: Check compatibility with Windows OS version

The next method is to check if the version of Windows you are currently using is compatible with the DirectX version you are trying to update. For Windows 7, 8, or 10, DirectX 12 works fine, but if you encounter incompatibility issues when running the game on a Windows 7 laptop or PC, try updating to DirectX 11 instead of DirectX 12.

The list of DirectX versions available for the Windows operating system is given below:

  • DirectX 11 is supported on Windows 7, Windows 8, Windows 10, and Windows Server 2008 R2.
  • DirectX 11.1 is compatible with Windows 7 (SP1), Windows 8, Windows 10, Windows RT and Windows Server 2012.
  • DirectX 11.2 is supported on Windows 8.1, Windows RT 8.1, Windows 10, and Windows Server 2012 R2.
  • DirectX 11.3 and 11.4 can only run on Windows 10.
  • DirectX 12 is preinstalled on Windows 10.

Step IV. Install the latest version of DirectX through Windows Update.

The easiest way to download the latest version of DirectX is to simply update Windows on your PC. Force Windows operating system update will help you automatically install DirectX 12 or any other latest version that is compatible with your system. Follow our guide on how to download and install the latest Windows 10 update to do the same.

Step V: Manual Update via the DirectX Website

Besides updating Windows, you can also manually update DirectX Windows 10 on your system. The following steps can be performed on any version of the Windows operating system to install the latest DirectX update.

1. Launch any web browser on your PC and open the DirectX Download Page .

2. After selecting the language, click "Download".

3. Now click on the downloaded file.

4. Select I accept the agreement and click Next on the Install Microsoft(R) DirectX(R) window.

5. Now click "Next" again.

6. The installation of DirectX will begin, as shown in the figure.

7. Follow the instructions on the screen to complete the installation and restart your computer.

You now have the process to download and install the latest version of DirectX. Enjoy the game!

Pro Tip: Roll Back DirectX

Another method that can help you resolve DirectX issues on your PC is to roll back the current version instead of updating it. You can try following the step by step instructions below to accomplish the same on your system:

Note. The value data mentioned in the steps only applies to newer versions of Windows, including Windows XP, Windows Vista, and Windows 7.

1. Open the Run dialog box by right-clicking the Start icon and selecting Run.

2. Now type regedit and press Enter on your keyboard to open the Registry Editor.

3. Then navigate to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINESOFTWAREMicrosoft as shown in the figure.

4. Now find and click the DirectX folder.

5. Click Version, change Value from 4.09.00.0904 to 4.08.00.0904 and click OK.

6. Now close the registry editor and exit.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Q1. How do I upgrade from DirectX 10 to 12?

Answer To upgrade your DirectX version, follow the above methods. However, be sure to check the requirements first to upgrade from DirectX version 10 to the latest downloaded version.

Q2. Which is better, DirectX 11 or 12?

Answer The main difference between DirectX 11 and 12 is that DirectX 12 is low-level, which means that it provides fine-grained control over how the game interacts with your system's CPU and GPU. In short, DirectX 12 is better and gives users more flexibility and power.

Q3. Is DirectX 12 suitable for gaming?

Answer One of the many benefits of DirectX 12 is improved processor performance. In terms of CPU usage and other performance improvements, DirectX 12 is really great for gaming.

Q4. Can DirectX 11 be installed on Windows 10?

Answer There is no separate package that can be used to download the DirectX 11 update on Windows 10. The latest version of DirectX is preinstalled with Windows 10.

Q5. How can I check if my computer supports the current version of DirectX?

Answer You can refer to Step I, Step II and Step III above to learn more about the current version of DirectX on your PC and whether your PC supports this particular DirectX update.

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We hope our guide to updating DirectX or downloading the latest version of Windows 10 has been helpful. If you have any more questions or suggestions, please leave a comment below.

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